1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to mounting assemblies, and more specifically, to an accessory mounting track for watercraft which features an open architecture that allows a user to slidably mount a wide variety of accessories from many manufactures. Boaters, and particularly fisherman, often need a wide range of accessories such as rod holders, cup holders, downriggers, lantern holders, sonar units etc. which frequently require drilling one or more holes in the transom or gunwale and permanently mounting the accessory thereto and then patching the resulting hole when the accessory is removed therefrom. Mounting assemblies that have attempted to address the problem require the user to drill the holes for mounting accessories into a track mounted to the gunwale or transom which does reduce the amount of holes drilled into the boat structure but still has the accessory remain in a fixed position. Additionally, holes frequently must be drilled in the rail to mount the accessories. Another style mounting assembly known in the art is a track that requires holes in the base to mount it to the boat The accessories mount directly into the slide details. The manufacturer has designed custom rod holders and downrigger swivels that slide into the track. An optional slide plate is provided for smaller accessories. The accessories are locked into position with thumb screws that travel through threaded holes in the slide plate and then bind into the track to lock into position. Each time the accessory is repositioned another binding mark is created in the bottom of the track thereby disturbing the aesthetics thereof. The manufacturer offers plastic inserts that can be cut to length and installed between the accessories to create a non-slip surface. A long piece of plastic insert material is placed in the track when no accessories are installed to improve the look of the track and also to provide a non-slip surface.
The present invention seeks to overcome the inherent disadvantages of the prior art by providing a track mounting system wherein accessories are fastened to slide mounts which are slidably installed onto a track assembly to allow the user to rapidly and easily install, reposition and remove accessories as needed. The track assembly has an integral non-slip top surface and can hold a plurality of accessories, all of which may be repositioned longitudinally along the track assembly and then secured at a specific location by means of a clamping bolt.
The mounts have different sized mounting surfaces to accommodate different accessories and the mounting surfaces are predrilled to accept standard configurations of mounting hardware of common fishing and marine accessories. Furthermore, the slide mounts with respective slide clamps leave no visible mark on the track member that results from the binding action of the thumbscrews used in the prior art. The present invention provides improved aestetic qualites since mounting hardware is not visible whether or not any accessories are mounted thereon and use the repositioning of the slide mounts do not mar the track surface.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are numerous mounting assemblies for fishing and marine accessories, while these devices may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as hereinafter described.
A primary object of the invention is to provide an accessory mounting track for watercraft that allows a user to quickly and easily install, reposition and remove accessories as needed.
An additional object of the invention is to provide an accessory mounting track for watercraft that is directly mounted to the gunwale or transom of a boat.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an accessory mounting track for watercraft having a track clamp assembly for fastening the track member to the boat so that no mounting hardware is visible.
A yet further object of the present invention is to provide an accessory mounting track for watercraft wherein the track member has a slotted groove extending longitudinally on both sides to accommodate mating flanges of the slide mounts which are installed by inserting the flanges into the corresponding grooves at a distal end of the track member and sliding the slide mount and its respective accessory medially along the member.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an accessory mounting track for watercraft wherein the slide mount has a slide clamp to secure the slide clamp to the track member and increase the tensile integrity of the connection especially when increased rotational forces are exerted thereupon by accessories such as downriggers and the like.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an accessory mounting track for watercraft wherein each slide mount has a thumb screw or other such locking means to work conjunctively with the slide clamp to secure the slide mount in the desired location.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an accessory mounting track for watercraft wherein the lower track clamp is wider than the rest of the track assembly and is screwed or bolted to a base plate fastened to the gunwale thus permitting the user to easily and rapidly remove the entire track assembly so only the base plates are visible.
One other object of the present invention is to provide an accessory mounting track for watercraft having a locking means located on each distal end so as to prevent unauthorized removal of the slide clamps and their respective accessories.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an accessory mounting track for watercraft wherein the top portion of the track member has grooves running longitudinally thereacross to form a non-skid surface that can be used as a step when boarding and unboarding.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an accessory mounting track for watercraft having quick slide mounts that allow a user to add a temporary accessory without having to remove any of the existing accessories.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide an accessory mounting track for watercraft wherein the track member has gull-wing style mounting flanges for bolting the track member directly to the gunwale or transom of a boat.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide an accessory mounting track for watercraft having a track clamp assembly for fastening a track member to a boat without the necessity for holes in the track member itself.
One more object of the present invention is to provide an accessory mounting track for watercraft wherein the track clamp assembly is secured to the track in such a fashion as to increase the tensile integrity of the connection especially when increased rotational forces are exerted thereupon by accessories such as downriggers and the like.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an accessory mounting track for watercraft wherein the track clamp assembly can be slidably positioned along the length of the track member.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an accessory mounting track for watercraft wherein the slide mount has a thumb screw or other such locking means to work conjunctively with the slide clamp that secures the slide mount in the desired location without marring, gouging or damaging the track member in any way.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an accessory mounting track for watercraft that provides a visible and useable non-slip surface between accessories installed on slide mounts.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an accessory mounting track for watercraft that could be wall-mounted in a garage, shed or other like structure for storing accessories when not in use.
One more object of the present invention is to provide an accessory mounting track for watercraft that is simple and easy to use.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an accessory mounting track for watercraft that is economical in cost to manufacture.
Further objects of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds.
To the accomplishments of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described in the appended claims.